Timer for ignition systems



`une 3, 1930. E. c. NEWTON TIMER FOR IGNITION SYSTEMS Filed Dec. '7, 1926 17212612 for' ,Edward f.' Mafia?? .ffarwey Patented June 3, 1930 l'iJlNlITl-l) STATES EDVJ'ARD C. NEWTON, OF LOS ANGELES, CALIFRNIA TIMER FOR IGNITION SYSTEMS v Application filed December 7, 1926. Serial No. 153,050.

This invention relates to improvements in timers for ignition systems, and more particularly to the contacts, or commutators of ignition governors, such as is shown and described in a pending application filed by me on the second day of May 1923 and serially numbered 636,051.

Commutators as now constructed and as shown in the recited application comprise contact plates and terminals builtin a shell or casing, and are commonly imbedded in the shell or casing at the time of its formation by molding out of insulating material such as bakelite.

All such plates, or commutator segments are constructed of relatively soft metal such as brass, or copper, and are therefore subject to deterioration by wear from a wiper, or movable contact and as a consequence their replacement, when no longer serviceable, re-

quires an entire new shell, or casing, with its fixed, built in, contact plates, or commutator segments.

An object of my present invention is to provide supplementary Contact plates, or commutator segments, which may be readily attached, or detached, that is, both physically and electrically connected with the fixed, built in, plates of the shell of the timer, and to thereby extend, or prolong the life and service of the timer, as a whole.

A further object of the invention is to provide a supplementary contact plate, the parts of which can be readily stamped out by dies and which is so constructed that when worn it may be reversely attached to expose the face thereof which has not been worn, thus doubling the life of the device.

My improvements consist in the novel construction, arrangement and combination of parts as hereinafter fully,l clearly and con cisely described, definitely pointed out in my claims and illustrated by the accompanying drawing, (l sheet) in which Fig. l is an inside face view of the shell, or casing, of an ignition timing device, and supplementary commutator constructed in accordance with my invention, with the timer. shaft and wiper removed.

Fig. 2 is a sectional elevation taken on the line indicated 2--2 of Fig. l, and showing by dotted lines the timer shaft and wiper. Fig. 3 is a face'view of the supplementary contact plates, and

Fig. l is a sectional elevation taken on the line indicated 4 4 of Fig. 3.

Referring more specifically to the drawing A designates the timer casing, which is a unitary, integral structure, formed of insulating material, preferably bakelite and .formed by molding and in the form shown is of bowl shape and comprises a circular side wall B and a substantially flat end, or bottom wall C.

lmbedded in the wall C of the casing, at uniformly circumferentially spaced intervals arethe fixed metallic contact plates D which lie on a common plane flush with the inner surface of the wall C, and imbedded in the wall B are the integral extensions E of the plates D. Extended through the wall B and secured therein by threading into bores formed therethrough are the screws F which are electrically connected with the extensions yE and provide terminals for conductors leading away from the commutator, as from spark plugs. As is common each screw F is locked in place as by a lock-nut G and'furnished with a binding nut l-l for conductors, or wires.

The shell, shown, is arranged for securement to the wall of an internal combustion engine about a timer shaft I (shown only by dotted lines in Fig. 2) and is provided with means such as the seat J (Fig. Q.) for securing to the engine wall as by a clamp, not shown.

Each of the plates D, in its body portion, is of a shape, except for its extension F by preference, identical with the supplemental plates 5 as shown in Figs. 1 an-d 3, and as shown in Fig. 2, has an internally threaded seat K.

The plates 5 referred to, are formed, preferably, as stampings from sheet material, possessing electrical conductivity, such as sheet brass, and in each is a countersink 6, and as shown are secured in a carrier, such as the disc, or plate, 7, of insulating material, preferably balrelite7 and formed as a molding', in identical arrangement as and tor, registration With the described iiXed plates, D. The carrier 7, With its plates 5 are secured in place as by screws S extended through the countersinks 6 and seated in the threaded seat K of the plates D.

As best shown in Fig. 4. I prefer to provide the carrier, or disc, 7 with the plates 5 on one face and identically similar plates 5 on the opposite face, to the end that a timer equipped With such plates 5 and 5 constituting supplementary commutator segments, will have its original service life (inthe plates D which ordinarily constitute commutatorsegments) plus the lives oi the supplementary commutator segments in the removable and replaceable carrier.

lith the Wiper element, or movable contact, as is common being removable and replaceable, and the shell or casing, and Wiper carrier being practically indestructible or susceptible to being rendered unserviceable I, by the provision o'l renewable commutator segments, produce a timer that Will have indefinite life, and Which Will result in great economy of operation.

I elaimz l. A device of tlie class described comprisn ing a substantially disc-shaped body of insulating material, a series oit contact plates carried at each face of the body which are relatively insulated of similar sha-pe and attached opposite to each other, there being registering openings through the plates and the insulation therebetween :tor the reception of securing means for the device.

2. A device embodying a flat Wall of the class described, comprising a casing' of insulating material having fixed metal seg- 40 ments radially positioned therein on a common plane, a reversible commutator adapted to it Within said casing, commutator segments on each side of said commutator, and mea-ns for electrically connecting said reversible commutator segments to each of said fixed metal segments.

In testimony I have afixed my signature.

EDWARD C. NEWTON. 

